


The Sun Shines Brightest In The Dark

by regina_stellaris



Series: It's alright if you're not okay [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, FTM Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), First Dates, First Kiss, Gender Issues, Levi and Eren get thrown out of a movie theater for making out, Light Petting, Making Out, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Other, Trans Character, dragqueenEren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 15:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regina_stellaris/pseuds/regina_stellaris
Summary: Eren and Levi have their first date.





	The Sun Shines Brightest In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> Not beta read. All mistakes are mine.

**[10:14] Eren** : hey, how r u?

 

**[10:22] Levi** : Good. Sitting in class right now. You?

 

**[10:24] Eren** : suffring thru 1 of my dad’s lectures

 

**{10:25] Lev** i: Fuck.

 

**[10:26] Levi** : I hope you’re alright.

 

**[10:26] Levi** : Anything I can do for you?

 

**[10:27] Eren** : u already have :)

 

**[10:28] Eren** : but maybe dinner tonight?

 

**[10:34] Levi** : Sure, when and where?

 

**[10:35] Eren** : i’m off work at 7

 

**[10:36] Eren** : small restaurant named Wall Rose?

 

**[10:40] Levi** : I like the Rose. Okay, I’ll meet you there at 7:30?

 

**[10:41] Eren** : awesome <3 i can’t wait

 

**[10:51] Eren** : hey Levi

 

**[10:51] Eren** : is it alright if i wear a dress?

 

**[10:52] Levi** : Wear whatever the fuck you want, brat, as long as you bring yourself.

 

**[11:12] Levi** : Eren? You okay?

 

**[11:14] Eren** : … i’m good. thx Levi. <3

 

**[11:15] Levi** : You’re welcome. Talk to you later.

 

**[11:16] Eren** : later

 

.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.

 

Eren slowly leaves the public toilet while clicking his purse shut. He pushes his work clothes deeper into the plastic bag in his right hand, then makes his way towards the  _ Wall Rose _ . His heart is beating like mad in anticipation from the feelings Levi’s text induced within him. It still warms him to his core -- and it made him bawl like a baby for ten minutes after he had received it.

 

Levi’s too good to be true. Just like a dream in which everything in his life works out for once. Every time he thinks about him, there is a flutter in his stomach and warmth spreads throughout his body. The sight of Levi’s smile alone would be enough to chase away the bitter aftertaste his father’s lecture left in his mouth.

 

God, Eren has it bad.

 

He yearns to hear Levi’s voice again, to tell him a joke and make him laugh -- he wants to get Levi, his desires, his fears, his passion. And it scares the fuck out of him, as he has never quite felt like this before. If Armin could see him now, he would probably tease him, but his friend is away at Stanford.

 

Eren approaches the Wall Rose carefully, looks around if Levi is already there. He sees him sitting on the stone bench at the fountain, his phone in his hand. He’s making such a disgruntled face that Eren cannot help but chuckle as he approaches him. Levi is so obviously distracted by whoever writes him that he only notices Eren when the brunette talks to him.

 

“You look like you bit into a citrus.”

 

Levi almost jumps into the air in surprise. His phone slips from his hand. He barely catches it in time.

 

“Geez, Eren,” he admonishes. “You scared the fuck out of --” Any words he wanted to say get stuck in his throat at the sight of his date. It sends a shiver down Eren’s spine to see Levi speechless because of him.

 

He’s wearing one of his favorite dresses today. It is an A-line skirt dress in such a dark green that it is almost black. It reaches only down to Eren’s bare knees which are not covered by tights today. Instead, Levi gets an eyeful of smooth skin and long legs. They end in intricate dark brown sandals whose straps wind around Eren’s calves like snakes. The brown haired wig Eren wore during his performance sits snugly on his head again. The wavy brown hair softly cascades down his back. He smiles and blushes under so much scrutiny.

 

It takes Levi several minutes to find his voice again. “Fuck, you look amazing!” he says while he stands up, obviously flustered. It’s a look that Eren would like to see more often on his face. “I don’t … damn, I don’t know what else to say.”

 

“It’s alright,” Eren says, grinning like a fool. “You just made my day to be quite honest.”

“And you made mine,” Levi blurts without thinking. His cheeks color. Eren never wants this to end.

 

Levi stuffs his phone into his bag, then shoulders it. He holds out his arm to Eren like a gentleman. “Shall we, brat?”

 

Eren loops his arm around Levi’s and grins. “Lead the way.”

 

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

 

_ Wall Rose _ is a small restaurant built into the wall of a former military base called Trost Base. The base had been built some 200 years ago and is quite a tourist attraction, promising a lot of income to the small establishment. The owner is a guy named Keith Shadis, an ex-military commander that loves to shout orders at his kitchen crew. Under his rule,  _ Wall Rose _ had been renovated to represent a US government facility as they’d existed before the Independence War all across the country. If not for the tables and chairs that are strewn about the place, it would look more like a museum than a restaurant.

 

Levi and Eren choose a table in a quiet corner that isn’t plagued by tourists like the rest of the place. A waiter comes by as they sit down to give them the menus, and soon they browse through them.

 

“Oh, nice,” Levi says suddenly, delighted. “They have Ceylon again.”

 

“Ceylon?” Eren looks at the name printed on the page. “Isn’t that a black tea brand?”

 

“Yes,” Levi answers. “It’s from Sri Lanka. Shadis usually bought it from a company specialized in importing it since they were giving him a discount. But two years ago or so the tea plantations in Sri Lanka had a drought and most of the plants died -- so the value shot up and the prices skyrocketed. Shadis had to take it out of the menu.” He ends his rant suddenly. “Oh god, sorry. I don’t usually ramble like this.”

 

“I think it’s cute,” Eren says, fondness creeping into his voice. Levi had looked so alive while talking about something as mundane as his favorite tea brand that Eren could’ve watched him until the end of his days. It makes him smile. “You really like tea, don’t you?”

 

“Yes,” Levi’s cheeks color. “I’ve started drinking it as a kid.”

 

“You’re so passionate,” Eren grins. Making Levi blush is as easy as it is charming. “I wouldn’t mind trying it.”

 

“Sure,” Levi clears his throat. “What do you want to eat?”

 

Accepting this change of topic, Eren looks at the menu once more. “I think I’ll take the chicken pasta.”

 

“Neat. I’m gonna take the fish.”

 

They make small talk until the waiter comes back to take their order. He brings their tea not soon after alongside a basket of bread slices with garlic cream on the side.The first sip Levi takes makes him moan.

 

“God, I love that taste.”

 

“I bet,” Eren says, trying to get his hormones under control. It’s not really a common courtesy to spot a hard-on during the first date. The things Levi does to him with a mere noise, though, are just--

 

“Aren’t you going to try yours, brat?”

 

“Er--” Eren is at a loss for words. “Sure.”

 

He tries the tea and finds it a tad too bitter for his liking, then adds sugar to Levi’s obvious snort. It is quite delicious afterward.

 

They enjoy their tea in sweet silence until the meal arrives. Levi’s fish is still steaming from the grill, whereas Eren’s pasta smells so delicious that he can literally feel his mouth water. He starts eating with gusto and almost moans himself as the flavors explode in his mouth. Soon enough, Levi is following his example.

 

“I love the food here,” Eren says after he’d swallowed his first bite. “It reminds me of my mom’s cooking.”

 

“Was she a good cook?” Levi asks.

 

“Yeah, the best,” Eren’s spirit seems down for a moment, then he smiles wistfully. “She thought me a few things. If you want, I could cook for you some time?”

 

“I’d love to have you cook for me,” Levi admits. “I can’t cook for shit.”

 

“Really? Do you set a kitchen aflame just by walking into it?”

 

“It’s not that bad yet, brat.” Levi smiles into his tea, Eren can see it through the wrinkles around his eyes. It fairly suits him. “I can do scrambled eggs.”

 

“Everyone can do scrambled eggs.”

 

“You make it sound as if I need a degree to work in a kitchen.”

 

“Not a degree -- more experience, and a helping tutor of course.”

 

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Levi shoves a forkful of white fish meat into his mouth. “I have a tutor sitting right here if he’s willing.”

 

“I always am,” Eren says in a sultry tone. It makes Levi chuckle.

 

“Not bad, brat, not bad.”

 

They return to their meals after the banter, as they don’t want the fish and the pasta to go cold. It tastes delicious, and Eren savors every last bite. When they finish their dishes and only their barely filled teacups remain, Eren tackles the question that he’d been thinking about for hours.

 

“Say, Levi,” he started. A glance at the black haired man tells him that he has his attention. “Say -- how would you like to go to a movie with me?”

 

“Sure,” comes the answer, fast as a shot from a pistol. “When and where?”

 

“Actually,” Eren’s hands become sweaty. He grips the fabric of his dress tightly. “I thought about -- maybe right now?”

 

“Oh.” Levi looks at his watch. It’s barely nine. The evening is still young and fresh. “Ok.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, really,” Levi chuckles while Eren sighs in relief. “You don’t want to go home yet, do you?”

Eren’s silence is answering enough. He feels Levi’s arm slide around his shoulder, then the smaller man is sitting right next to him.

 

“I’m sorry,” Levi says quietly. The honesty in his voice makes Eren tremble. “I understand where you’re coming from. Having your parents yell at you for reasons that you can’t change without denying your true self seems to be going around.”

 

Eren laughs. “You make it sound like a sickness.”

 

“Perhaps it is,” Levi tightens his grip. “You’re wonderful and talented, and if your Dad can’t realize that, then it is his loss.” He sounds so sure as if he had done this before. His parents must’ve been assholes, too. “No one should be afraid to go home.”

 

“I -- Levi --” Eren doesn’t know what to say. The mere thought that Levi might  _ understand _ what he feels like is too much. How can it be that someone like Eren got to meet such a good guy who would get him and not mock him for the problems he has. Levi must be an angel, sent from Heaven to brighten Eren’s life. He can’t explain it otherwise.

 

Before he can stop himself, he has shortened the distance between them and presses his lips against Levi’s unresponsive ones. Levi is surprised by the kiss -- his eyes widen and he goes rigid as a board, but when Eren tries to end it as quickly as it began, he grabs at his head and pulls him closer still before he opens Eren’s lips with his tongue.

 

Eren’s eyes slide shut. His hands roam about Levi’s body for a second, before they settle at the shorter man’s waist. Eren can feel the softness of Levi’s shirt below his fingers, as well as the hardening body beneath it. Their tongues start a desperate battle. All blood leaves Eren’s head to rush south.

 

They are interrupted by someone clearing their throat near them and jerk apart. While Eren turns cherry red, Levi levels a glare at the person interrupting them, who happens to be the waiter that attended to them all night. The man visibly shrinks in on himself and then ask in a timid voice if he can bring them anything else.

 

“No,” Levi says a tad sharper than intended and crosses his arms over his chest. He is not at all pleased by this sudden interruption, but he doesn’t want to have a fall out with one of his favorite restaurants, either. He, therefore, opts for polite neutrality. “We’d like the bill, please.”

 

The waiter nods sharply before he basically runs off. Still blushing, Eren can’t help but chuckle at his haste. He gently covers one of Levi’s hands with his own and watches the other visibly relax. “You handled that well.”

 

“Yeah,” Levi responds, then levels a warm gaze at Eren. It makes the brunette shiver despite the warmth in the restaurant. “I was tempted to chew him out, but I happen to like meals here.”

 

“They are really delicious, aren’t they?” Eren hums. He takes one of the tablecloths and folds it into a square, needs to occupy his hands or else he’s gonna jump Levi right then and there. He can still taste him on his lips.

 

Luckily for him, the waiter comes within another minute. Levi pays, doesn’t even accept when Eren tries to intervene --  _ “We could at least share it, Levi.” - “No, this one's on me. You can pay for the movie if you want to lose money so badly.” - “... Fine.” _ \-- and they leave the place naught five minutes afterward.

 

A gentle breeze greets them. Eren can feel it caress his bare legs as well as the long strands of his wig, relishes in the feeling of breathing in fresh air. He stretches a little and sees Levi watching him out of the corner of his eye. When Eren turns his head, Levi averts his eyes. A blush colors his beautiful pale face.

 

“Everything alright?” Eren asks teasingly, a grin on his face. At this rate, it will become a permanent fixture on his face, he’s sure of that.

 

“I just thought -- nevermind.”

 

“Oh, come on,” Eren bugs. “Tell me? What did you think?”

 

Levi turns even redder, then clears his throat. “... I thought about how much I wanted to kiss your neck right now.”

 

“Oh.” Now it is Eren’s time to blush. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” he blurts out before he can even think about it.

 

Levi laughs. “Of course you wouldn't.” He shakes his head for a moment, then looks at his phone. “We should probably get going to the cinema, though. To catch your movie.”

 

The sudden change in topic throws Eren off-guard for a moment, but then a smile graces his face. There are a lot of things two people can do in a darkened movie theater, after all. “Alright,” he purrs, grabs for Levi’s hand and drags him along. “Let’s hurry then!”

 

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

 

They end up expulsed from the cinema for ‘ _ steamy behavior _ ’ halfway through the movie. Eren almost keels over while they leave since he’s laughing his ass off, and even Levi finds the situation weirdly amusing. Once outside, however, the brunette continues where they left off. He urges Levi against the wall next to the exit, takes the other one’s hand and guides it back to where it had slipped under his dress before a security guard asked them to ‘leave’. He finds Levi’s lips once more and moans into his mouth when Levi squeezes his thigh.

 

“Don’t stop,” he mumbles against Levi’s lips when they break apart for air, then surges back into the kiss. Levi’s hand is warm as it trails up and down Eren’s leg, and he can’t help growing hard as fast as he does. His leg bends on its own accord and wraps itself around Levi’s waist, drags the other even closer than before.

 

“I don’t intend to,” Levi groans. “You taste so good, Eren.”

 

Warmth spreads through Eren’s being, and before he can help it his lips are on Levi’s again. One of his hands finds its way into Levi’s hair, nails scraping over the short strands of the other’s undercut, while the second goes to Levi’s own on his thigh. He breaks the kiss and guides it to his crotch. “Look what you do to me,” he whispers.

 

The reaction is not as anticipated.

 

Levi tenses the moment he touches Eren’s groin. Grey eyes widen, then dart from Eren’s middle to his face and back. The brunette reads fear within that gaze and slowly uncurls the leg he had partially wrapped around the other.

 

“Levi?” he asks carefully. Gently. “Is everything alright?”

 

“I --,” Levi breaks off, suddenly pale, then licks his lips. “I -- you -- Eren you have a dick.”

 

“Er--” At first, Eren doesn’t understand. Yes, he has a dick, he’s a guy after -- oh.  _ Oh. Of course _ . His grip on Levi’s hand loosens with sudden realization. “Oh, Levi. I’m sorry.”

 

Levi shakes his head. He looks oddly vulnerable. “It’s okay,” he says. “I should’ve known. Of course you have a dick. You’re a guy.”  _ And I’m not _ , goes unsaid, but Eren hears it in the defeated tone of Levi’s voice. He wants to assure him that everything will be okay one day, that he will have a dick at one point in his life. But he doesn’t find the words. Instead, he wraps his arm around the shorter male in a gentle embrace as his arousal bleeds into concern and something else. Something he doesn’t want to acknowledge just yet.

 

“I won’t like you any less if you tell me that it is, in fact, not okay,” he says quietly. Levi breathes harshly. “I can only try to understand what you feel right now, and I will probably never get it completely, but just know that I care about you and your well-being. If you need time, just tell me.” Another harsh breath that sounds suspiciously like a sob has Eren press Levi’s body even closer. Slowly but surely, Levi hugs him back.

 

“I’m sorry,” the shorter man mumbles in a voice full of unshed tears. “I didn’t know it would affect me like that but … when I held your … it is hard to explain--”

 

“Shh, it’s alright. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

 

“I know,” Levi says. He lifts his head and locks his gaze with Eren. “But I  _ want to give _ you one.”

 

“Okay,” Eren only manages, then waits patiently for Levi to find words. He rests his arms on Levi’s shoulders and interlaces his hands behind the shorter man’s neck. Levi’s right hand finds Eren’s forearm and squeezes it in silent thanks.

 

“... I’m jealous,” Levi finally blurts out. “You were born with a dick and you’ve never had to struggle with what I’m going through and … shit, this is hard --,” Levi swallows harshly. He looks away before he continues, “for a long time, my life was shit, you know? Before I realized that I had been born in the wrong body, I always wondered what was wrong with me. Nothing felt … right. I rarely smiled because I always felt …weird. I can’t really explain it, but -- I … I thought about killing myself for the first time when I was eight. Everyone was expecting me to behave in a certain way, and if I didn’t they were so disappointed in me. They called me names … and they … they ” He breaks off, clears his throat. “I’m sorry. I feel so guilty for being jealous of you.”

 

“You don’t have to. Feel guilty, that is.” Eren places a gentle kiss on Levi’s forehead. It makes Levi look at him again. “And thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For sharing that with me,” Eren answers. “I know it must’ve been hard to admit the truth. Not only to me, but to yourself as well.”

 

Levi looks at him oddly, then-- “How can you be  _ real _ ?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“How can you be  _ actually, properly _ real?” Levi pinches his cheek. The color has returned to his face and he looks a lot more like himself. “I swear, half the time today I thought I was dreaming.”

 

“... I take that as a compliment,” Eren grins cheekily.

 

“You better. I don’t often compliment people, brat.” Thank fuck, Levi has returned to normal. On a sudden impulse, Eren places a wet kiss on Levi’s cheek which has the shorter man immediately recoil from him. “Fuck, now I have drool all over my face!”

Eren just laughs.

 

“That isn’t funny,” Levi chides but doesn’t wipe the wetness away yet. Instead, he takes Eren’s hands in his and looks at him with sudden profoundness. “Thank you, Eren. For listening. I didn’t know I needed that.”

 

“Anytime,” Eren responds honestly. “And just for the record, we can take it slow. You don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

 

“The same goes to you,” Levi places a chaste kiss on Eren’s lips before he interlaces his right with Eren’s left. “Since we couldn’t finish the movie, let’s walk around until you feel comfortable enough to go home.”

 

And there it is again, that warm feeling that spreads through him whenever he is in Levi’s presence. Eren takes a deep breath and smiles. Together, they walk into the night.

 

To be continued.

**Author's Note:**

> Original posted [here](https://172salamandersinatrenchcoat.tumblr.com/post/167498259038/the-sun-shines-brightest-in-the-dark)


End file.
